In view of the situation regarding terrorism throughout the world, it has been commonplace to increase security efforts at those places where large crowds of people are intended to congregate. Still further, security has been enhanced for those situations where large crowds are essentially captured and have no way of defending themselves in the event of a terrorist attack or an attempt at terrorism, such as in air travel, bus travel, train travel, and the like.
The enhancement of security automatically means that there are long delays for those trying to access aircraft, trains and busses, and the reason for the delays have to do with the personal side of the security effort, that is, the searching of luggage and the person prior to boarding the airplane, train or bus.
Many times, preliminary searches are carried out on persons resulting in the need to remove some item, or several items from the person, or the luggage before the person and his or her luggage is allowed to move through the security check points.
When the removed items tend to be minor articles, such as toy guns, souvenir swords, glass bottles of cologne configured as a gun, knife or sword, then the person in possession of such an item is in a position of having to leave such items behind, generally to the extent that the items are discarded.
However, many times, the item or items tend to be expensive, such as pocket knives, jewelry, electronic equipment and the like, for example, a small, hand-held electronic device that has failed the security check point because the batteries failed and it has become inoperable. Being inoperable means that the device will not be allowed past the security check point because in order to pass through the security check point, the item in question must be shown to be operable.
The persons in possession of such items have no choice but to leave the items behind, i.e., usually pass it over to the security people in the pre-security area, or throw it away, or destroy it completely.
There is no simple, easy, economical method by which these items can be sent back home, or sent on by mail or package delivery, because of the lack of such a service in the pre-security area mentioned Supra, or simply because of the lack of time to try to purchase a container for the item, label it correctly, provide the required postage or delivery fee, and make it unto the air flight, train, or bus in an appropriate time frame. Furthermore, there is no short term place that an individual can leave such items until their return, and evenso, these places would only be effective if the passenger were returning from their travels via exactly the same route as they left on their travels, at least to the extent that they would pass by the same stopover so that the item or items could be recovered.
What is needed therefore is a simple, easily utilized, economical method by which the items mentioned above, can be securely deposited while in the pre-security area of the airport, train station, or bus station, and eventually, and timely, be delivered to the destination or home of the person utilizing such a service.
The inventor herein has provided such a service, and the equipment by which one can take advantage of the service in a timely manner, and thereby not have to leave expensive or precious items behind or be forced to limit their travels.